Role of transfer-based and performance-based cues on initial trust in mobile shopping services: a cross-environment perspective

Abstract

Building initial trust with consumers is critical for e-retailers. Drawing on the elaboration likelihood model, this study examines the factors affecting initial trust in mobile shopping services by focusing on transfer-based and performance-based trust building mechanisms in a web-mobile services extension context. A developed research model reflecting the above two mechanisms is empirically tested on data collected from 192 undergraduate students who were web-shopping users of a famous business-to-consumer retailer in China. The results indicate that transfer-based cues including trust in web shopping services and functional consistency, in combination with performance-based cues including mobile information quality and mobile service quality, significantly affect initial trust in mobile shopping services. In addition, mobile information quality had a stronger, while mobile service quality had a weaker impact on initial trust in mobile shopping services when the consumer had a low level of self-efficacy for change. However, the moderation effects of user involvement were not significant.